Necticut



sept. 3o. 1924. 1,510,350

G. B. THOMAS FUSE BOX Fned dat. 2s. 1920 lul l! U.

wai

Gfofc e B. THomns mf A TTG/CNE YS lfatented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. THOMAS, OF BRIDGEPORT. CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPBNY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CON- NECTICUT.

FUSE BOX.

Application filed October 25, 1920. Serial No. 419,245.

To all 'wh-om it may concer/rt:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of 5 Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuse Boxes, of which the followin is a specification.

y invention-relates to fuse boxes, and lo particularly to. a box for housing a group of small fuses, such asV would be installed, for instance, in a wiring system for automobile lights, etc. The object of my invention.V is to provide'a' simple and serviceable fitting: of economicalconstruction, compact and eilicient arrangement of the elements.

lIn. thefaccompanying drawings-- *Figil 'isa'broken perspective oi' a fuse boxin 'which my invention is embodied in one form; Y

.eL'F-ig.' f2.. is ai longitudinal section therethroughi; K., 1?' L y fFigf-f is aftransverse section; and #Figi frisia! perspective lof a terminal connectolg ofi'eu ,'1 '1 .1 1 y l'Igherpresent =fuse boxzcomprises a sheet metal .the bottom memberi of which is integral witlii the' bent-,up ends 6 Aand sides.

6*. Thesidesaref. Aprovided withT end lugs '-folded over lthe en'd's '6 and rsecured 'thereto byrivets passing throu registerin perforatons in the lugs an vends. .Y Eac end 6,--isi-ap'ertured.I at 9 4tofreceive .the hinge tongues 10 of adetachablecover "11, having a. spring `catch?12'at'='its opposite end, provided with a boss 13 adapted to snap into a. hole 14 formed in each end 6 to cooperate therewith. The cover is thus reversible and may be hinged at either end of the box, as

most convenient for the position in which the box is installed.

Fitting snugly within the box is a base plate 15 of insulation, upon which are mounted in parallel at spaced intervals pairs of fuse terminal clips 16, the bases of which are engaged by the heads of rivets 17 piercing the insulating plate 15. Assoelated with eachterminal cliA 4is a wire terminal strap 18, also engage by the rivet head and extending outward toward one or the other of the sides 6a of the box. Binding screws 19 are tapped into the wire terminal plates. In the construction shown I have shown seven pairs of clips mounted on the base 15, and spaced a suitable distance apart, the number of clip pairs being of course variable to n'ieet the requirements of the installation.

The side walls 6 of the box are pierced at 20 in alineinent with the axes of the several clip pairs to accomodate the lead wires '21. 'fo insulate the lead wires from the' nietal of the box. and also to protect them against the cutting ot' their insulation by the edges of the metal :it the apertures 20, I provide a lining Sheet 0i paper, fiber or other suitable insulating inziterial, which extends beneath the plate 15 and is bent upward at its opposite side inargins to face the'side walls of the box. .The lining sheet is apertured in register with the holes 2O in the side walls, the apertures 23 in the sheet being Aot less diameter than that of the aperture20,l so as to maintain the leadwires out of contact 'withthe edges of the holes 20. To facilitate the introduction of the wires into the holes 20, 23 when the wires are previously provided with soldered terminals 2T, such as hereinafter described, the maro-ins `ot' the box sides (Stare cutzby' slots 24 leading from the edges to the holes 20. The lining sheet 22'is similarly slotted at 25, these slots being narrower thanfthe slots 24 inthe box sidesto maintain the wire out of contact with the latter. The lining sheet at the point at which itunderlies-the base l'h'as the further function of insulate ing thebase clip rivets lT.-f1"om the metal box bottom, and thus preventing short circuiting the fuses 26 throughV lthe box. ifi-5;,

The connection between the lead wires and the terminal plates 18 is made more secure by utilizing a wire terminal 27 (Fig. et) having lugs 28 adapted to be clamped down upon the wire and provided with a- 95 perforated ear 29, through which thebinding screw 19 passes. The bared end 30 of the Wire 21 may be either engaged between the head of the binding screw and the ear 29, or it may be'passed through a hole 31 100 in the clip 27 and soldered, or it may be engaged between the ear 29 of the clip and the terminal plate 1S. lVhen a terminal of this type is applied to the wire end before it is introduced into the box, it is nevertheless 105 readily passed through the holes 20, 23, by turning the terminal on. edge so that its ear 29 passes down through the slots 24 and 25 into the holes 20, 23 through which the Wire may then be readily pulled. It not in- 110 frequently happens that the ear29 is of greater diameter than the opening of the holes 20, so that it would not be possible to introduce the terminal into the box were it not for the slots 24 and 25 above mentioned.

The insulating plate 15, lining strip 22, and box bottom 5 are rigidly united by hollow rivets 32, through which the fast/ening screws 33 pass into the support 34 upon which the fuse box is mounted.

Upon the inner face of the cover 'l1 of the box I mount a series of pairs of fuse clips`35 adapted to receive a group of reserve fuses, to replace any of the service fuses which may be blown. The clips 35 are mounted on the cover by rivets 36, and are arranged in staggered relation to those on the base 15, so that the fuses which they carry lie between the service fuses whenthe box is closed, thus insuring aicompact unit occupying little room when installed.

The assembly as a whole provides a fuse box of very compact structure, with all current carrying elements fully housed-in and protected against accidental injury and short circuit, while the lead wires are protected against contact with the metal box body even should their insulation be Worn through b reason of the vibrations to which the tting is subjected when mounted on a motor car. Various modifications in details of construction will readily occur to those skilled in the art, Without departing from what I claim as my invention.

I claim- 1. In a fuse box, a sheet metal'body having its opposite sides pierced to afford a series of wire-entry apertures, an insulating base plate fitting Within said body and having a series of pairs of fuse-clip terminals which register with the Wire-entry apertures in the sides of the box, securing means piercing the base for holding the said clips in position thereon, and a flexible insulating lining supporting said base from the bot- .series of wire-entry apertures,

tom of the box and having upturned side flanges facing the apertured sides of thc box and pierced to admit lead wires to said clips.

2. In a fuse box, a sheet metal body har ing its opposite sides pierced to aord a au insulating base fitting within said body and having a series of pairs of fuse-clip terminals, which register with the wire-entry apertures in the sides of the box, a sheet of flexible in'- sulation lining said box and apertured at the wire-entry holes in' the box sides, the apertures in the lining being of loss diameter than thosein the side wall of the box, for the purpose specified.

3. In a fuse box, a sheet metal box body, an insulating base plate secured on the bottom thereof, a series of fuse terminal clipsV mounted on said base, the sides of the box being apertured to admit lead wires to said clips, .said-box.sides having slots extending from their edges to the Wire holes to permit the introduction of the lead wires into the latter for connection to the binding screws.

4. In a fuse box, a sheet metal box body, an insulating base plate secured on the bottom thereof, a 'series of fuse terminal clips mounted on said base, the sides of the box being apertured to admit lead Wires to said clips, said box sides having slots extending from their edges to the Wire holes to permit the introduction ofthe lead wires into the latter for connection to the binding screws, in combination with a lining sheet of insulating material facing said box sides and cut in register with the apertures and slots in the box sides, the apertures and slots in the lining beinor of less diameter in order to maintain the Iead wires out of contact with the box sides.

In testimony whereof- I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE B. THOMAS. 

